The research, published on 14 October, showed that, for one in 10 leaders trying to grow from a medium-sized business to a large business, getting their senior management team right was their biggest challenge.
A competent senior leadership team is crucial to the successful growth of an organisation, according to Ed Hussey, Menzies' people solutions director .
Speaking to HR magazine, he said: “How senior leaders spend their time will be the biggest determinant of how the company moves forward.
“It is important for HR leaders to recognise that, particularly in smaller or medium-sized businesses, those already in senior roles transition with their business through phases of growth. This requires a fundamental shift in their mindset as well as their skill base.
“For example, they may need to incorporate more strategic thinking to help drive and deliver the growth agenda, as well as examine their own roles and priorities to incorporate more strategic planning and leadership and fewer tactical activities.”
Read more: How leaders can foster engagement during the ‘Big Stay’
CHROs should take a strategic approach to identifying senior leaders early on in their careers, explained Sophie Randles, director at executive search specialist Livingston James Group.
Randles told HR magazine: “Succession planning is central to building strong and effective leadership teams. The key is to spot talent early on.
“CHROs should invest in proactive, long-term succession planning for their C-suite and 'C minus one' roles, identifying leaders with potential earlier in their careers, and ensuring a motivational career path for the best talent.
“Simultaneously, it’s critical to focus on a broader range of talent pools to nurture and attract more diverse candidates, ensuring representation and access to the best people.”
Randles encouraged CHROs to communicate their company’s purpose, to motivate potential leaders.
She continued: “There is a growing recognition that a sense of purpose can inspire and motivate both leaders and employees, fostering a more engaged and dedicated workforce. It’s vital that purpose is communicated effectively internally, and HR leaders can support communications teams to deliver that effectively.”
HR leaders should provide management training focused on human skills, according to talent strategist Anja van Beek.
“The focus should be on fostering emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and resilience: skills that enable leaders to navigate challenges with empathy and agility,” she told HR magazine.
“This includes integrating neuroscience-based coaching to help leaders manage stress and build emotional resilience.
“HR must also prioritise the 'three Cs of coaching': compassion, curiosity and courage. These are key traits that leaders should embody to foster a positive culture and effectively lead their teams.”
Read more: Managers want, but aren’t getting, emotional intelligence training
Half (49%) of UK employees do not think their senior leadership is empathetic, research by software company OC Tanner found in December 2023. In more recent (October 2024) research, only half (50%) of managers reported receiving training for emotional skills when they started their role, according to analysis commissioned by the training platform MindTools.
HR should encourage leaders to manage their wellbeing as the organisations grows, Beek added.
She said: “Leaders should be encouraged to embrace adaptability and accountability while maintaining self-care, as these aspects are crucial for long-term success. Just as athletes need recovery periods, leaders too need to balance work demands with intentional breaks, to stay resilient and high-performing."
A third of leaders (32%) admitted they were not able to confidently delegate decisions down the chain, Menzies found.
“Through a combination of skill-building, emotional intelligence, and resilience training, HR can create a senior management team capable of navigating today’s complexities and future challenges,” said Beek.
Menzies commissioned Censuswide to survey 500 UK CEOs, MDs, COOs and founders of UK businesses – 250 of which were medium and 250 of which were large – between 19 March and 3 April 2024. The results were published in its Are you ready for the Greatest Leap? report yesterday (14 October).
